FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) adds Calendar, Unemployment Rates, PMI / ISM, Housing & Construction, Retail Sales, Consumer Sentiment, Yield Curves, APIs & SDKs, and Sheets / Excel Add-ins coverage that Multpl skips.
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
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Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Tool Comparison
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) vs Multpl comparison
Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.
Quick takeaways
Multpl includes Financials categories that FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) omits.
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) ships a mobile app. Multpl is web/desktop only.
In depth comparison
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
fred.stlouisfed.org
One of the most trusted sources of macroeconomic and market data worldwide. FRED offers free access to charts, releases, Excel add-ins, and a public API. An API key (free) is required, with standard rate limits. ALFRED, the companion service, provides vintage datasets so you can see what was known at any point in time.
Categories
Platforms
WebMobileAPI
Pricing
Free
Quick highlights
- Access to over 840,000 time series from more than 100 official and third-party sources, all browsable and downloadable online.
- Official REST API covering both FRED and ALFRED, with endpoints for categories, releases, series, and sources.
- Flexible output formats including JSON, XML, Excel, and CSV for easy integration.
- ALFRED (the archival database) provides point-in-time vintages, letting you track historical revisions exactly as they were published.
- Maps API delivers regional datasets with GeoJSON shapefiles for states, counties, MSAs, and more.
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Multpl
multpl.com
Free, lightweight site for long‑term charts and tables of S&P 500 valuation metrics (P/E, Shiller CAPE, P/S, P/B, earnings yield), dividends/earnings/sales per share, US Treasury rates & real yields, CPI/inflation, GDP, population and income stats. Each page cites original sources (S&P Global, US Treasury, BLS, BEA, Robert Shiller). Historical series are typically monthly/quarterly; many pages show the current value with an end‑of‑day timestamp. Multpl does not advertise a first‑party API, but much of its curated data is available as the **MULTPL** database on **Nasdaq Data Link (formerly Quandl)** with REST/CSV/JSON access.
Platforms
Web
Pricing
Free
Quick highlights
- Clean charts + tabular views with ‘By month’ / ‘By year’ toggles for each series.
- S&P 500 valuation dashboards: PE, Shiller CAPE (with FAQ), price‑to‑sales, price‑to‑book, earnings yield.
- Macro breadth: CPI & inflation rate; GDP (real & nominal), growth rates, real GDP per‑capita; US Treasury tenors (1M–30Y) and real yields.
- On‑page source disclosure and methodology notes (e.g., monthly averages for S&P price series; CAPE construction).
- Homepage tile layout with live EOD stamps (e.g., '4:00 PM EDT') across popular series.
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Where they differ
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
Distinct strengths include:
CalendarUnemployment RatesPMI / ISMHousing & ConstructionRetail SalesConsumer SentimentYield CurvesAPIs & SDKs
- Access to over 840,000 time series from more than 100 official and third-party sources, all browsable and downloadable online.
- Official REST API covering both FRED and ALFRED, with endpoints for categories, releases, series, and sources.
- Flexible output formats including JSON, XML, Excel, and CSV for easy integration.
- ALFRED (the archival database) provides point-in-time vintages, letting you track historical revisions exactly as they were published.
Multpl
Distinct strengths include:
- Clean charts + tabular views with ‘By month’ / ‘By year’ toggles for each series.
- S&P 500 valuation dashboards: PE, Shiller CAPE (with FAQ), price‑to‑sales, price‑to‑book, earnings yield.
- Macro breadth: CPI & inflation rate; GDP (real & nominal), growth rates, real GDP per‑capita; US Treasury tenors (1M–30Y) and real yields.
- On‑page source disclosure and methodology notes (e.g., monthly averages for S&P price series; CAPE construction).
Feature-by-feature breakdown
| Attribute | FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) | Multpl |
|---|---|---|
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets | Shared: Data APIs, Data Visualizations, Inflation Rates, GDP, Interest Rates, Real Yields Unique: Calendar, Unemployment Rates, PMI / ISM, Housing & Construction, Retail Sales, Consumer Sentiment, Yield Curves, APIs & SDKs, Sheets / Excel Add-ins | Shared: Data APIs, Data Visualizations, Inflation Rates, GDP, Interest Rates, Real Yields Unique: Financials |
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes | Bonds, Commodities, Currencies, Stocks, Other | Stocks, Bonds, Other |
Experience levels Who each product is built for | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Platforms Where you can access the product | Web, Mobile, API | Web |
Pricing High-level pricing models | Free | Free |
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor | Unique
| Unique
|
Tested Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat | Not yet | Not yet |
Editor pick Featured inside curated shortlists | Standard listing | Standard listing |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which workflows do FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Multpl both support?
Both platforms cover Data APIs, Data Visualizations, Inflation Rates, GDP, Interest Rates, and Real Yields workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.
Do FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Multpl require subscriptions?
Both FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and Multpl keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.
Which tool has mobile access?
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) ships a dedicated mobile experience, while Multpl focuses on web or desktop access.
What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) differentiates itself with Access to over 840,000 time series from more than 100 official and third-party sources, all browsable and downloadable online., Official REST API covering both FRED and ALFRED, with endpoints for categories, releases, series, and sources., and Flexible output formats including JSON, XML, Excel, and CSV for easy integration., whereas Multpl stands out for Clean charts + tabular views with ‘By month’ / ‘By year’ toggles for each series., S&P 500 valuation dashboards: PE, Shiller CAPE (with FAQ), price‑to‑sales, price‑to‑book, earnings yield., and Macro breadth: CPI & inflation rate; GDP (real & nominal), growth rates, real GDP per‑capita; US Treasury tenors (1M–30Y) and real yields..
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Curation & Accuracy
This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).
Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.